Demonstrators with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon protest a Sept. 10, 2012 fundraising visit to Portland by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., during his campaign for the vice presidency.Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

States like North Dakota and Arkansas are receiving national attention for their efforts to severely curtail abortion by passing laws that directly challenge the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling.

But in Oregon and Washington, the political winds are blowing in the opposite direction in two states where voters have repeatedly expressed themselves in favor of abortion rights.

In Oregon, a House committee on Monday held a hearing on a resolution praising the Roe v. Wade decision, which Republican legislators have been trying to keep the Democratic majority from bringing up. Their fear, according to The Oregonian's Yuxing Zheng: that Democrats could use a vote on the symbolic resolution, to wage election attacks against Republicans who cast no votes on House Concurrent Resolution 6.

In Washington state, lawmakers are considering legislation that would require insurers to provide coverage for abortion under the new federal health care law. There would be a religious exemption, although abortion foes say the exemption is not strong enough.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon has felt secure enough about Oregon's standing under the new federal law that it is not pushing similar legislation here. But in addition to promoting the pro-Roe v. Wade resolution, abortion-rights activists are also prodding Oregon legislators on another front.

They're backing a measure, Senate Bill 490, that is aimed at crisis pregnancy clinics run by groups that want to direct women away from abortion. SB 490 would require these clinics to post notices that include information about whether they provide abortion referrals.